


A Brave New World

by IntriguingScenes



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mostly Fluff, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-05-18 16:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5935926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntriguingScenes/pseuds/IntriguingScenes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna Jones is a successful lawyer, a happily married wife, and new mother.  She couldn't be happier.  But then the bombs dropped and everything changed.  Now she has to get used to a new world that bears only remnants of the one she new.  Luckily for her, she's not completely alone.</p>
<p>Series of one-shots that probably aren't in any real order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Crazy Plan

            “ _That_ is one big super mutant,” Anna breathed beside him.  One quick peak at her face in the dim moonlight showed him wide eyes and an open mouth at the sight. 

            “It’s a Behemoth,” MacCready told her.  He was still amazed how little she sometimes knew about the world.

            “It certainly is.”  Anna’s eyes didn’t leave the creature.  MacCready stifled a chuckle.

            “No, boss, that’s its name.  We call them Behemoths.”  She glanced his way like she was trying to make sure he wasn’t lying to her. 

            “Oh.  Good name for it,” she shrugged, satisfied he was telling her the truth.  Turning her attention back to the mutant, she analyzed the situation for several moments.  “How do people usually deal with them?”  It was his turn to be shocked.

            “Usually by fuc--, mmm, by _running_ the other way as fast as they can.”  He had traveled with this Vault Dweller long enough to recognize that look in her eye by now and he felt a rock plummet into his stomach.  “But you’re not going to do that, are you?”

            “It would be irresponsible to just let a creature like that wander around so close to the Castle.”  She grinned.  He was starting to both hate and love that grin.  Of course, Anna had also neglected to consider that the Castle was on the other side of the wharf.  Across the water.  Where this thing wasn’t likely to go. 

            “They’ve got defenses, you know.  Better than we have right now.”  Anna ignored him.  The Behemoth stomped around, moving behind some of the old shipping containers littering the wharf.  They were hidden on some scaffolding above it, but the movement still sent shockwaves across the ground.  With the beast hidden from a good shot, MacCready hoped Anna would let it go and started to stand. 

            “I’m going to get you a clean shot,” she announced.  He nearly stumbled down the stairs before regaining his footing and kneeling beside her again.

            “Are you fucking crazy?” _Sorry Duncan_ , he grimaced at the slipped curse.  Anna, however, didn’t even notice the slip.  Rather, she looked around beneath her for something; he had no idea what. 

            “You’re a good shot.”  Seeming to find what she was looking for, Anna looked up at him, patted him on the shoulder, and started to get up.  “Oh, you should use this,” she said handing him her rifle. 

            “And exactly what’s wrong with my own rifle?” he asked almost offended. 

            “Absolutely nothing.  But mine’s a .50 cal.  More damage.  And a better scope.  I need to make you a better scope,” she muttered to herself after turning away toward the stairs. 

            “You may be the boss, but I still say you’re crazy!” he whispered loudly behind her.  It then occurred to him he had no idea what she was going to do.  Sliding over to lean over the stairs, he called to her quietly.  “Boss!  What exactly am I doing?”  She flashed him that infuriating grin again and tossed her Brotherhood bomber jacket back up to him.

            “Just shoot when you’ve got a shot.  Don’t worry about the rest.”  When she disappeared from sight, he couldn’t help the groan that escaped his lips.  Wriggling back around, MacCready put her jacket beside him, catching a hint of her soap. It smelled good, though he had no idea what it was.  Something kind of spicy.  He shook the thought from his head and returned to setting up Anna’s rifle, unsure where that thought had come from to begin with. 

            MacCready caught sight of Anna on the ground below him a minute later, carefully sneaking around crates and sticking to the darkest corners of the wharf.  She was moving slowly, but that wasn’t uncommon for her.  She preferred to never let her enemies know she was coming.  And she was surprisingly good at it for someone who had developed her skills on the fly like she had.  Anna finally reached a gap between two containers.  He was pretty sure the Behemoth was on the other side.  After such slow progress, the next couple of minutes went by very quickly.  She almost ran toward the water, placing something down behind her.  Looking through the scope, MacCready saw a frag mine.  _That must have been what she was looking for_ , he thought, knowing she tended not to carry mines.  Most were dead long before they would have reached a mine she set, so there was no need; Anna was nearly as good a shot as he was.  His finger was on the trigger, one eye on the scope and the other watching Anna.  He was ready.  He thought.

            “Hey ugly!” he heard Anna shout after placing the mine. He had been ready for anything but that.  Of course the Behemoth turned her way.  Seeing easy prey, he gave chase.  Anna started running for the end of the wharf’s length. 

            When the Behemoth stepped on the mine, MacCready winced, but kept his sights in the right place.  It was difficult to focus on the shot knowing Anna was running right in front of the creature.  In mere moments, though, the Behemoth turned its back to him providing the perfect opportunity.  MacCready lined up the shot and squeezed the trigger.  The Behemoth stumbled, but continued moving.  He popped the casing out and shoved another in its place.  Another shot.  Another casing removed.  In the bottom of the scope, he saw the Behemoth get very close to Anna, still running, but nearing the end of the wharf.  Then she dove in the water with no hesitation.  MacCready fired two more shots before the creature fully turned around, then another two as it came back his way before the monster finally fell.  _Holy shit!  I can’t believe that worked!_  

            He looked through Anna’s scope trying to find her in the water, but found no sign of her.  Knowing she probably just had to swim around to find a way up, he got up collected both their rifles and her jacket and headed down the stairs.  Now that some of the adrenaline of battle had past, he noticed the salty breeze from the ocean, which would have been nice if it hadn’t also carried with it a slight stench of century-old garbage.  It could almost be ignored, though, making it a pleasant night.  The new boss might be a little crazy sometimes, but he did miss this while holed up in Goodneighbor. 

            Arriving at the edge of the wharf, he had expected to see some sign of Anna, but he saw nothing.  He even tried her night-vision scope.  He didn’t really know what to do.  Should he go look for her?  Should he shout?  He wasn’t a terrific swimmer and if she was underwater, she wouldn’t hear him shout anyway.  Setting down their gear, he walked the length of the wharf and back, but still no sign.  How long could she even hold her breath?  Did that Behemoth hit her before she dove?  He was starting to get really worried when he caught sight of a faint white glow under the surface near the edge of the wharf moments before Anna surfaced, gasping for air, but smiling.

            “I am definitely going to regret this later when the radiation hits, but I haven’t been swimming in over two centuries!”  She smoothed her bangs back almost into her bun.  “Nice shooting, by the way.  Those things are tough!  I hoped that mine I disarmed would help and I managed to drop a grenade, but I think it kicked it off into the water.”

            “Thanks, boss.  How about you get out of the nasty radiation water?  I don’t think you’d be quite as attractive as a ghoul.”  MacCready nearly clamped his hand over his mouth with that one.  Anna, who had been swimming towards a ramp, suddenly stopped and looked at him with the widest eyes he had ever seen.  _Please let it go_ , he silently begged her.  He had never been so glad to see someone speechless just shake their head and move on.  She climbed out of the water and started squeezing her bun to get some of the water out of her auburn hair.

            “Let’s get back to the Castle.  I think that was enough for one night.  By the way, look what I found in the water!”  She held out her hand to show him a few caps and some ammunition rounds as they started walking, the light from her Pip-Boy illuminating the way. 

            “The caps I’ll take, but those rounds won’t be worth much.  Too much water.”

            “Well, maybe not worth much as ammunition, but I bet I can do something with the pieces.  I saw a box down there and had to back down to see what was in it.”

            “You took so long because you were looting a box at the bottom of the ocean?  Godda—God, boss.  Do you have to go through absolutely everything?  And worse yet, do you have to _keep_ all of it?”  He was scowling at her, even though it was amusing.  She had a bag she carried with her half the time when they went out just for the trash.

            “It’s called hoarding.  Once upon a time, it was a real thing.  Now, it’s just so that the settlements the Minutemen run can have what they need.  Can’t protect them if I can’t make things for them.”  She smiled wiggled one of the waterlogged shells between her fingers.  When he didn’t change his expression, she laughed.  It seemed that she didn’t laugh often, with anyone, but when she did, it was a beautiful sound.  “You’re not as attractive when you scowl,” she teased, then practically _skipped_ ahead of him, leaving MacCready scowling even more that she hadn’t let it go after all.  It felt like his heart skipped a beat when he realized a moment later that she had basically told him he was attractive.  Now he recognized that feeling that had been slowly creeping up on him since they met.  And all he could think was _Shit._


	2. Enough of a Clue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna didn't think it would be possible to be close to anyone after losing her husband, let alone a mercenary with a sarcastic streak.

            No matter how long she lived in this world, Anna didn’t think she would ever get used to washing the stench of ferals and super mutants off of her.  Their lairs were bad enough, but on days like today when they had gotten close enough to touch her? There wasn’t enough water in the Commonwealth that she could get hot enough to truly feel clean, and that included irradiated water.  When her water got too cold for her to stand, she stepped out of the shower with a sigh.  It was a rare day that she didn’t feel like she had to rush, so she took her time getting dressed and toweling her hair dry as best as she could.  She enjoyed visiting the settlements around the Commonwealth, but here in her Diamond City apartment was the one place she felt like she truly had privacy.  Of course, the irony was not lost on her that her most private place was smack in the middle of the largest town around.

            Shaking the thought from her head with a smile, she left the shower room, relishing the feel of a skirt rather than her usual Brotherhood jumpsuit and bomber jacket, even if the skirt was a little tattered.  She loved her bomber jacket while out in the wilderness, but it was nice to feel more feminine when in safe places like this.  Especially considering who was in the next room.  She and MacCready had rolled into town an hour ago, exhausted and dirty.  Thankfully they were planning on staying here a couple nights.  Anna had made a beeline for the shower while MacCready had washed off from a basin, opting to finish the job after she finished. 

            Travelling with this mercenary had been an interesting experience so far.  It hadn’t taken long for him to be a friend, rather than just a hired gun.  Anna had been completely blindsided by the developing feelings that came next, though.  Bit by bit, she saw more than the hardened merc he wanted people to see, and found a real, caring man underneath.  One she had entrusted with her life countless times.  There were times when she felt like a school girl around him, and others when she felt she was betraying her husband.  She knew Nate would want her to move on; they had even talked about it before.  That didn’t make it easier to do, though.

            Entering the living area, Anna found MacCready sitting in a chair, sound asleep.  He looked peaceful, faintly snoring with his head resting on the back of the chair.  Anna instantly began moving more quietly, chastising herself for pushing him too hard lately.  It was several moments before she realized he had a book in his hands.  More like a sketchbook, really.  Approaching as quietly as she could, Anna couldn’t help her curiosity and carefully lifted the book from his lap.  She thought she had woken him when he stirred a little with a slight moan, but he didn’t fully wake up.  Looking through the pages, she found drawings of many of their friends, but they looked more like comic book characters. 

            Piper looked like a reporter from Astoundingly Awesome Tales.  There was Danse looking a bit like Grognak the Barbarian with power armor-inspired attire. Anna had to stifle a giggle at how appropriate yet insulting the picture seemed to be.  Danse was rather large and intimidating in his power armor, but he would be furious if he saw someone depicting him as an uncontrollable barbarian.  Curie came next and would have fit right into one of the medical journals Anna had at Sanctuary.  _Appropriate_ , she thought with a nod.  Nick looked like he had just walked out of one of those old film noir flicks.  _Also fitting_ , Anna smiled.  Her breath caught on the next page.  MacCready had drawn her, dressed as the Silver Shroud.  She had helped Kent right after meeting MacCready and didn’t think he had paid _that_ much attention to her getup.  She turned the page to see what he had been working on today, but was startled when he suddenly jerked awake.  Looking from his lap to her, his eyes tightened when he saw the book in her hands.

            “These are amazing,” she said, hoping he didn’t hear the quiver in her voice from getting caught.

            “Guess you found my dirty little secret.”  He didn’t take his eyes from hers, but he did start blushing all the way to his ears.

            “I think we may need to discuss your definition of ‘dirty,’ RJ.”

            “Who ever heard of a merc with a penchant for comic-style drawing?  That’s real scary stuff right there.”

            “You never know.  You could turn yourself into a comic book hero.  Make those two thugs Winlock and Barnes into idiots everyone reads about and pretty soon no one would be afraid of them.  Who ever heard of a Gunner that doesn’t inspire fear?  You’d only need a good name…”  She was relieved that he didn’t seem angry.  Embarrassed maybe, but not angry.

            “Well,” MacCready started while rising from the chair, “you would know all about becoming a da—a comic hero, wouldn’t you Silver Shroud?”  Anna mocked offense.

            “Hey!  That was a radio character.  It’s completely different.”  She grinned at him mischievously.  He scoffed at her.

            “Whatever.  Let’s just pretend this didn’t happen, alright?”  When he stepped towards her to take the book back, she backed up.

            “But I want to see what else you’ve come up with!”

            “Oh please don’t!”  MacCready quickly stepped closer, but Anna was already half running down the hallway.  With nowhere to go unless she made him chase her around Diamond City, though, he easily caught up, catching her around the waist with his right arm and taking the book back with the other.  “Just where do you think you’re going?” he asked a little too close to her ear, making her knees suddenly feel like jelly.

            “Apparently nowhere,” she replied.  Her heart was pounding and those familiar butterflies appeared in her stomach.  He had her back pinned against his chest and all she could do was beg her nerves to calm down.  She kept thinking that she needed to wriggle away or at the very least say something, but it felt like she had lost all control over her body.  It was actually kind of nice to be stuck here, as much as she hated to admit it.  She ignored the fact that she found she wouldn’t mind being in this position more often.  Anna wasn’t much shorter than MacCready, so when she turned her head to look at him, it wasn’t uncomfortable to find his eyes.  And they looked as nervous as she felt. 

            “So now what?” she finally asked quietly.

            “What?”

            “You have your book back.”

            “Right,” he replied, but when his eyes flicked down to her lips, it became pretty obvious he wasn’t concerned about that anymore.

            They were getting closer together, though it was almost imperceptibly slow.  Anna wasn’t even sure who was moving; maybe they both were.  She barely noticed that she had covered the arm around her waist with her own until she heard the slightest gasp escape his lips, along with a slight widening of his eyes.  It was obvious they both wanted this but were still unsure if they should.  Anna wasn’t certain if it was 5 seconds or 5 minutes before their lips finally met.  It was gentle, barely even touching.  Anna leaned her head further into MacCready’s shoulder for better purchase and he followed immediately.  His lips parted and Anna did the same, making the kiss a little less gentle.  His grip on her waist tightened when her left hand found its way back to the nape of his neck.  Anna lost track of time as they stood there, her mouth molded against his, their tongues timidly exploring.  It felt so easy, easier than she had ever expected.  The long-forgotten book slipping out of MacCready’s grasp and thudding to the floor broke them apart.  Anna twisted out of his grasp as he stepped backwards, neither looking at the other.  Anna cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

            “I’m sorry.  I probably shouldn’t have…I mean…That was…”  She groaned and dropped her head, leaning against the wall with her hands behind her back.  “I don’t know what I mean.”  She didn’t see MacCready take a small step towards her.

            “Do you regret it?”  She looked up at him sharply.

            “What?”

            “It’s a simple question, Anna.  Do you regret it?” 

            It was a simple question, but she wasn’t sure there was a simple answer.  She loved it.  It had felt natural in a way she never thought to find again.  But she also felt guilty, like she was betraying Nate while at the same time knowing she wasn’t.  Nate had been a very pragmatic man with a very dangerous job.  He was a heavy weapons expert, the kind that the enemy typically aimed for.  The night before his first deployment since they were married, they had had a very difficult conversation.  Anna remembered it perfectly, even though she hadn’t thought about it in years until now.

            “I never want you to wonder or feel conflicted,” he had said to her.  “I have a very dangerous job.  If something happens to me, I want you to move on.  Grieve, but don’t let it consume you.  Find someone who gives you butterflies, who makes you laugh, who you would take a bullet for and they would do the same for you.”  Of course, nuclear holocaust hadn’t exactly been what either of them expected, but she knew Nate would still say the same thing.  Looking at MacCready now, she pushed her unnecessary guilt to the side.

            “No,” she breathed.  “I don’t regret it at all.  Do you?”  There were barely two steps between them and MacCready’s long legs covered the distance in an instant, grabbing her face and pressing his lips to hers again.  This kiss was almost urgent compared to the first, but it didn’t last as long.  Anna had barely gotten her hands away from the wall when he pulled away, still holding her head.

            “That give you enough of a clue?” he asked with a grin.  She returned the smile, amazed at the intensity with which he gazed at her.  Unable to think of anything appropriate to say, she just nodded, feeling less alone than she had since the bombs dropped 200 years ago.


	3. How Old Are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MacCready gets a little surprise when he learns his new boss is from a completely different world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now things are getting out of order. :) This one takes place very early on when MacCready finds out Anna is from the pre-war years. Also, I don’t know if MacCready having a thing with heights is canon or not, but I was running around the Corvega Assembly Plant one day and he absolutely refused to follow me all the way up the tower. No idea why, but that was the inspiration behind this one. Hope you enjoy!

           The Starlight Drive-In seemed like an odd place for a settlement.  At least, MacCready thought so.  There wasn’t a lot of room for growing food and there was a huge, water-filled hole right in the middle, not to mention the immovable pre-war structures.  He did appreciate the number of sniper positions here, though, even if the sight lines were a little limited. Somehow, Anna had turned this old drive-in into a successful settlement.  People seemed happy; there was commerce, and plenty of shelter for everyone.   She had built a small bar with a jukebox, which made him quite happy, and had even gone to great lengths to light the entire settlement as much as possible, which was quite welcome on such a dark night.  It was an odd little place, but it was working.  That was about as much as anyone could ask.  

           Tonight was a one-night pit stop on their way to some place she knew.  Sanctuary, he thought she had called it. He got the distinct impression she liked to visit these settlements she had helped create as often as possible.  Not that he minded.  Besides, it gave him a chance to clean his rifle in safety.  He always found it to be a soothing process.  People always said that if you take care of your weapon, it’ll take care of you.  They weren’t wrong, but MacCready always thought those people missed the importance of skill in that equation.  A cool breeze started blowing as he finished putting his weapon back together, a breeze that almost guaranteed a storm later.  He looked up for approaching storm clouds and happened to notice Anna sitting on the railing at the top of the old movie screen, swinging her feet and looking out over the settlement.  They didn’t know each other very well, but the behavior still seemed odd, so he stowed his rifle with the rest of their gear and climbed the stairs up to her.  He hadn’t realized just how tall the screen was until he reached the top.  He appreciated good sniper positions, but this height made him a little uneasy.  

           “Hey Boss!” he called, walking across the top of the structure and trying to stay as close to the middle as he could.  Anna didn’t hear his call, though, seeming to be lost in thought.  “Boss?”  She jumped a little at the sound of his voice right behind her.

           “Oh!  MacCready.  You scared me.  What’s up?”

           “What the heck are you doing up here?”  He swallowed hard, peering cautiously over the edge.  “Hanging off the side of this thing doesn’t seem like a good idea.”  Anna just grinned and returned to her study of the settlement.  

           “My husband took me to a drive-in on our first date,” she said instead of answering his question.  “A little corny, maybe, but it was fun.”

           “I didn’t know you were married.”  Her smile faded a little.

           “Widow,” she said solemnly.  MacCready’s mind instantly ran to thoughts of Lucy and all the memories he struggled to block out.  Now wasn’t the time to be reliving  _ those _ particular memories.  

           “I’m sorry.  I didn’t know.”

           “We used to come here all the time.  We loved movies.  Just about every date we had after we got married, we came here.”  Her smile suddenly returned, but from the look on her face, he suspected they weren’t looking at the same scene anymore.  “Nearly every time we were here, I’d say I wanted to come up here.  I don’t know why.  Nate would tell me I’d miss the movie, but I always wanted to see the view.  Just to say I did it.”  She sighed.  “This isn’t quite how I imagined doing it.  Back then, there was more to see than dead trees and ruined buildings.”  MacCready scoffed.

           “Pretty sure this place has always looked like this.”

           “Not always.  This place used to be pretty popular.  There were nights that you couldn’t even find a spot for the movie, especially a popular movie.  It was a show and a social hour some nights.  Sometimes the movie just led to a bunch of us driving to Boston to a bar or something.”  She sighed heavily, coming back to the present.  “I really miss those nights.”  MacCready could easily tell how sad she seemed, a sentiment he hadn’t seen from his boss.  Only then did it occur to him what she was actually saying.

           “Wait a minute.  You came here for movies?  This place hasn’t operated since the war!”  Anna looked at him with wide eyes for a moment.  “Just how old are you?”  Instead of answering, Anna giggled after a moment.

           “I’m sorry, MacCready.  I forgot you hadn’t been to Sanctuary yet.  Codsworth usually tells people before I can.  Well, him or Piper one.”  He had no idea who these people were, but he silently prompted her to finish.  “I am 27 years old.  Or, well, I was when the bombs dropped.  I’m not sure there’s much point in counting my age at this point.”

           “The bombs…  Oh, crap.  You’re crazy, aren’t you?  I signed on with a crazy woman!”  Anna threw her head back with laughter, a rich, full sound that probably carried across the entire settlement.  

           “Sometimes it feels like it, but no, I’m not crazy.  I was born May 31, 2050.”  MacCready searched her face for some hint that she was teasing, but she seemed perfectly serious, if a little amused by him.  

           “You’re serious.”

           “Completely.  Codsworth, my Mr. Handy, can tell you all about it when we get to Sanctuary tomorrow.  My husband and I bought him before the war.”  He was absolutely flabbergasted. He didn’t really even know what to say.

           “How the hel- heck are you almost 240 years old?”  She swung around the banister, stood, and walked over to a couple of chairs someone had put up here.  MacCready followed her.

           “I assume you know about Vaults?”  He nodded.  Everyone knew  _ about _ the Vaults, even if very few knew much past that.  “They...They aren’t the safe haven we thought they were going to be.  They were a front for experiments that never should have been performed.  There was one near us that took Nate and I in when everything fell apart.  Turns out they wanted to see what happened to people in prolonged cryogenic stasis.  I was the only one to walk out of there.”

           “What happened to everyone else?  How did you get out?”

           “I don’t know how I got out.  Someone or something must have released me, but that’s all I know.  Everyone else?  I have no idea.  They were dead when I woke up.”  Anna was staring at the floor, twisting a ring around her finger.  A single tear made its way down her cheek.  “At least, when I woke up the second time.  The first time, someone came in, took my baby and killed my husband.”

           “Damn.”  He didn’t really know what else to say.  “I know it doesn’t help much, but I’m sorry.  Do you know who did it?”

           “Not yet.  But I’ll find them.  And find my son.”  They fell into an uncomfortable silence, Anna still twisting her ring and MacCready trying to think of the right thing to do or say.  He suddenly wanted to see her smile again.

           “So...237 years old, huh?  How’s the Commonwealth treating you?”  Anna looked up quickly, quizzical expression on her face.  Suddenly her wide smile was back and she giggled.  “What?  It’s a fair question!”  She laughed harder.  

           “Just not one I expected!”  MacCready snorted a laugh.

           “I was just trying to, I don’t know, change the subject or cheer you up or something.”

           “Well, you did.  Perhaps not the smoothest line, but I’ll take it.”  Both were smiling, but the silence dragged on for a couple minutes.  Finally Anna spoke again.  “So now that you know half my life’s story, let me ask you something, MacCready.”

           “What’s that?”  He didn’t want to seem nervous, but there were a few things he wasn’t exactly willing to tell the boss.

           “What’s your name?”  It was his turn for the quizzical look followed by a smirk.

           “Now who has the bad lines?”

           “I’m being serious!  I have no idea what your first name is.  No one ever seems to use it.  What’s the matter?  Embarrassed?”  She grinned mischievously.  MacCready scoffed, conceding her point.

           “Robert,” he told her.  “Robert Joseph MacCready.  What about you?  I’ve heard people use your first name and people call you ‘General.’”

           “And of course you call me ‘boss.’  Piper calls me ‘Blue.’  I’ve even been called ‘vault-dweller a few times.  I have lots of nicknames, come to think of it…”

           “So what’s your real name?”

           “Anna Lynne Jones.  Not real proud of the ‘Lynne’ part.  Could have been worse, though.  My sister’s middle name was unfortunately Gertrude.  I think my parents were just being cruel.”  MacCready made a face at the name.  “I know.  Bad, right?”

           “Depends.  What was her first name?”

           “Lydia.”

           “That balances it out a bit.”  Anna nodded, then yawned through a smile.

           “Well, I’m going to turn in,” she said while standing to leave.  “Goodnight.  RJ.”  MacCready cocked an eyebrow at her retreating form.

           “RJ?”  She turned to walk backwards toward the stairs.

           “Just thought someone should use something other than your last name.”

           “It’s a little weird.  But something tells me I should get used to it, shouldn't I?”  Anna smiled brightly.

           “That’s probably best.”  Then she skipped down the stairs and out of view.

           Several minutes after Anna left, MacCready got up from his seat to turn in for the night.  Throughout the conversation with Anna, he had completely forgotten the height he stood upon and when he made the mistake of looking down, he had to shut his eyes.  The rest of the way to the stairs, he fixed his gaze on the floor in front of him trying to pretend the sharp drop beside him wasn’t there.  He never thought he had a problem with heights, but he found himself swearing never to climb up this movie screen again.


	4. Piper's Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper and MacCready have a conversation at the Castle where Piper finds out there might be little bit more between Anna and MacCready than she realized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having a hard time coming up with stuff I actually like lately, so I decided to work my way through a few prompts I saw on Tumblr, which is why this is a little shorter than most of the stuff I end up writing. This is also the first time I've written Piper, so hopefully she turned out alright. :)

The Castle had become something to behold, thanks to Anna.  Everyone in the Commonwealth had known to stay away from the dilapidated old fort, though MacCready hadn’t known why.  He had never been stupid enough to go find out.  According to the Minutemen, the biggest mirelurk imaginable had taken up residence here.  Thankfully all traces of the creature were gone now.  Instead MacCready could marvel at the popular, and quite safe, hub it had become.  Today marked the last of its restoration and the Castle was buzzing with excitement.  Of course, the promise of a celebration to mark the occasion had everyone in a frenzy.

“Everyone’s pretty excited, aren’t they?” Piper said, plopping down beside him on his perch overlooking the courtyard.

“Can’t blame them, I guess,” MacCready replied around a mouthful of muta ruin.  “They’ve got their fort back, their numbers are up, they’ve spread settlements across the Commonwealth, and they have a leader again.  Sounds like a Minuteman’s dream.”  He swallowed his bite before turning to the reporter.  “What are you doing here anyway?  Since when did you join the ranks?”

“I didn’t, though Blue doesn’t hesitate to bring any of us along to help a settlement.”  

“True.”

“Nah, I’m just here for the story,” she said, spreading her arms wide like she was imagining a story title.  “‘Minutemen Officially Back In Business.’  People will want to know about retaking the Castle, rebuilding it, and their new operations.”

“All thanks to their new leader who is too dam-- too charismatic for her own good.”

“That almost sounded like a compliment, Mac.”

“I guess it was.  It’s the truth, though.”  Glancing over at Piper, he was met with a bemused, almost mischievous grin.  One that made him simultaneously blush and want to smack her like a little sister.  “What?”

“Oh, Mac.  She won you over, didn’t she?”  The question was far too innocently sweet for MacCready’s comfort.

“Won me…  What are you talking about?  I’m just saying she’s charismatic.  I’m surprised she didn’t calmly ask that mirelurk to leave the Castle.  And with her luck, it probably would have work.  Besides that, she’s easy for people to follow.  She’s nice in a way that just shouldn’t exist.  I can’t figure out how the heck she does it.  But people respond to it, and to her, whether they mean to or not.”  With every word that came out of his mouth, his blush grew.  He had to practically slap his hand across his mouth to stop the flow of words that were digging him deeper and deeper into a hole.  Looking at Piper was just out of the question, so he studied the courtyard instead, even though he could feel her gaze burning a hole into him.

    “Mac, are you…” she started quietly, no longer acting the part of mischief maker.  MacCready knew exactly what she was about to say and he looked anywhere but at her in the vain hope that she would leave it alone.  Apparently that was as good as an admission of guilt.

    “Oh my God,” she breathed.

“Piper, don’t,” he tried to say firmly, along with a stern look.  The falter in his voice gave him away.

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”   _ At least she was quiet about it _ , he thought through a wince at hearing the words said out loud.

“I don’t...I mean no, not…”  His protests falling flat, he hung his head.  “Maybe,” he admitted quietly.

“I’m guessing you haven’t told her.”

“No.  And don’t you even think about it.   _ If _ I ever tell her, I want to be the one actually doing it.”

“I wouldn’t dare.  But if I were you, I’d do it.  I’ve seen her look your way too many times for it to be a coincidence.”  With that, Piper stood and left, leaving MacCready feeling like an idiot.  Yet still he scanned through the crowd below him to find a glimpse of Anna.  When he caught sight of her auburn bun, she looked up at him like she had read Piper’s mind and rewarded him with a dazzling smile.  He caught himself grinning back before she was whisked away by yet another task.  Only when he realized his heart had skipped a beat when she smiled did he realize how truly hopeless he was.  And he wasn’t sure if that was going to be good or bad.


End file.
